First Sunday of Lent: Listening Spaces

Sometimes we just need to get away in order to hear from that “still small voice” within. This quiet voice is an attribute of the Holy Living God, as Elijah found out when he retreated to a cave where he expected to experience God in big wind and earthquake and fire. What is your “cave?” […]

Finding Your Life: Listening Deeply

As we prepare for our 40-day journey of Lent, we “turn around” (the root meaning of the word “repent”) from the distractions of daily noise and focus our attention on listening in a deeper way. Writer Parker Palmer suggests we must listen “to what our life is telling us”–in other words, to listen to the […]

Seeing the Glory

On this Sunday we climb the mountain with the disciples, Peter, James and John, to see the glory of Christ revealed and the truth affirmed that Jesus is the Son of God. Transfiguration Sunday plays an important and pivotal role in our journey of discipleship just as it did for the disciples then. On this […]

Be Still and Know

Be still before God. Wait patiently. Are these passive words? Or reserved actions? The Hebrew of God’s command to “be still” is similar to stop what you are doing and know me. Be still, so that you may be emptied and then filled with God. Stop praying and be prayer, allow God to pray through […]

To Stand Grounded

This week in worship, we continue to find comfort in the wisdom and hope of the Psalms, looking to Psalm 1. Central to this ancient poem is the image of a healthy fruit-bearing tree, planted by the water; an image likened to those whose lives are grounded not in the messaging of popular consumer culture, […]

Steadfast Love

This Sunday we receive a song of thanksgiving that brings comfort to our soul as our spirit finds union with the Divine. God offers a steadfast love that is consistent and constant, and we find ourselves turning to receive with hearts of gratitude. It is a practice that needs to be cultivated in our lives. […]

Comfort for the Soul: Shelter Me

"I will look back in days to come and realize your faithfulness has led me home. Within your house I'll find my peace, trusting that in your mercy you have sheltered me." From "Shelter Me" by Father Michael Joncas This Sunday we are beginning a spinoff of sorts of our traditional New Year Rhythms of […]

Being the Body of Christ

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”  - 1 Corinthians 12:12 Relationships form us. As we gather for worship, we celebrate our relationship with the Holy and with one another. We remember and experience […]

Spirit for the Common Good

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Love is a motivating power and when we […]

First Sunday After the Epiphany

You're invited to join us for coffeehouse worship! As we continue to experience the Epiphany, we celebrate Light being revealed to the world. Our worship will seek the light as we remember the baptism of Jesus and our own baptism. Our Co-Lay Leaders, Tammy Eaton and Donna Dunyak will lead worship along with several lay […]

Second Sunday After Christmas: The Risk of Incarnation

The day of Epiphany is Thursday, January 6 and in anticipation of Epiphany we hear the story of the Three Wise Men today in our worship. This story, found in the gospel of Matthew, continues the whimsical and beautiful pageantry we are so fond of remembering at Christmas time, but it also carries a subtext […]

The First Sunday after Christmas: Dwelling

There will be no in person or live streamed worship service at FUMC Kalamazoo on December 26, 2021. A welcome from Pastor Julie Kline will be streamed at 10am on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021. You can access on our site or via YouTube. On this Sunday after Christmas, we invite all to worship from home […]